In August 1996, the Winston-Salem Police Department
began operation of a Street Drug Enforcement Unit. The mission of the SDEU was
to shut down the open air drug markets by arresting drug buyers and seizing
their vehicles. Strategy sessions between the District Attorney's office and the
police resulted in agreements on the use of specific statutes for these cases,
procedures for seizure and forfeiture of vehicles (proceeds from the sale of the
vehicles will go to the school system) and development of tactical plans and
prosecutorial strategies. The police DO NOT sell drugs, but a placebo resembling
crack cocaine.

Since the inception of the Unit,
290 individuals have been charged with felonies and 499 have been charged with
misdemeanors. The Unit has worked in every sector of the City and has arrested
individuals from all walks of life. Efforts in one neighborhood resulted in the
arrests of three major suppliers to the area. Residents of that neighborhood
have expressed their appreciation for the Unit's presence as well as their
excitement about "reclaiming" their community. During 1996, the Winston-Salem
Police Department seized drugs valued at $2,753,906 and property valued at
$38,063 through interdiction efforts at the Postal Service, package delivery
services and the airport.